(All images: Abdulrahman Alkhamees/The Paperclip) Writing and photography by Abdulrahman Alkhamees. Abe was born and raised in Kuwait, but now lives in in Portland. He’s the founder of The Paperclip.cc, a cycling publication where he shares stories and photos from the saddle. This is his first contribution to BikePortland. Our Mother the Mountain (OMTM) rides and the community they’ve created are cherished by cyclists throughout our region. They’ve also inspired me to look for new routes and even create my own. When I build routes it feels like I’ve gamified my hobby. Thanks in part to excelle ..read more

The author and his knee at the Ladds 500. April 13th, 2024. (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland) Written by Cameron Crowell, a Portland resident whose work has also appeared on Eater PDX and Portland Mercury. This essay was submitted as part of a community project to keep BikePortland going while BikePortland Editor & Publisher Jonathan Maus is tending to a family medical emergency out of town and unable to work as normal. Springtime in Portland means cherry blossoms, brief glimpses at sunny days in between the rainy ones, memories of the Blazers being in the playoffs (RIP Dame), and finally, afte ..read more

(Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation) Last month the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) published an annual report on its progress toward making the city accessible to people with mobility disabilities. Titled, ADA Title II Public Right-of-Way Transition Plan Update, the report is a requirement of the 2018 Consent Decree between the city and a group of individuals with mobility disabilities who claimed that the city was remiss in its ADA obligations. The Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center (CREEC) provided the text of the decree, which requires that Portland meet yearly ..read more

(Shawne Martinez) [Note: The story below was shared by BikePortland subscriber Shawne Martinez, who goes by @tigard_stripes on Instagram. I’ve been away from Portland for a week dealing with my dad being in the hospital, so I’ve been unable to do BikePortland stuff. I’ll be sharing a few guest articles this week and until I can get my dad stabilized. Much love and thanks! – Jonathan] I’m a carfree bike dad in Tigard, Oregon. My daughter Eliza (a second grader) and I put many miles on our bikes in Washington County and we often see and hear the WES train rolling between Tigard and Beaverton on ..read more

Happy Monday everyone. Jonathan has been away from Portland attending to a family medical emergency since Wednesday, so things might look a bit different around here until he gets back. Don’t dis cotton: A breezy piece about the pleasure of wearing cotton when riding. (Outside) E-bike infrastructure: Manhattan is poised to convert an iconic newsstand into an e-bike charging station, but first it has to jump through a few hoops (like the Landmark Preservation Commission). (Gothamist) VanMoof is back!: Under new ownership, the company is relaunching with a new line of e-bikes. They recognize th ..read more

Tweed Ride is Sunday! (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland) Just look at the wonderful collection of options you have this weekend. Weather should be great too. Soak up as much of this glorious spring as you can and have fun out there. Friday, April 19th Portland Psychedelic Society Ride – 7:00 pm at Irving Park (NE)Bicycles are a trip. Join the Psychedelic Society to commemorate an important date in LSD history. Expect an 8-mile loop and a fun after-party on Alberta Street. More info here. Saturday, April 20th Farmers Market Ride – 10:00 am at SE Clinton and 41st (SE) It’s spring! A perfect time of ye ..read more

Trying out non-electric bikes at Clever Cycles. (Shannon Johnson/BikePortland) “I really want to improve my physical health and cycling stamina. Is the e-assist holding me back?” I have recently been thinking about returning to an “acoustic” front-box cargo bike. Yes, I might give up my much-loved electric-assist bike. First, let me praise e-bikes to the sky! I have loved my Bunch e-trike. Having the e-assist has been a game-changer. It is so much fun. My husband says riding with the e-assist feels like riding downhill both ways, even when pedaling uphill with four kids in the front. That’s ..read more

3 out of 4 traffic deaths in Portland happen on “High Crash Network” streets like 122nd Ave. (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland) “PBOT can design safe streets, but we cannot reach our safety goals by focusing on street design alone.” – Millicent Williams, PBOT It’s no longer possible for the City of Portland to dismiss the startling toll of traffic deaths as an aberration. At City Council today, leaders of the transportation bureau will face the incontrovertible facts as they ask Mayor Ted Wheeler and the other four commissioners to accept a Deadly Crash Report that includes 69 confirmed fatalities ..read more

Adah Crandall outside the home of Vice President Kamala Harris. (Photo: Allyson Woodard) When we first introduced you to Adah Crandall, she was just 15 and already fighting a freeway in the backyard of her former middle school. A few months later, in the summer of 2021, she was leading youth climate activists in a weekly protest outside Oregon Department of Transportation headquarters in downtown Portland. And one year ago this week, Crandall confronted a powerful state legislator in a hallway in the State Capitol in Salem. Now Crandall has a full-time job with Sunrise Movement and has thrust ..read more

Rex Burkholder at Bike Happy Hour, April 10th. (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland) Portland City Council candidate Rex Burkholder wants one of the three seats in District 3, and he visited Bike Happy Hour on April 10th to tell us why. As I do whenever a candidate shows up, I handed Burkholder the mic and let him share his stump speech. Under sunny skies on the Gorges Beer Co patio overlooking the SE Ankeny Rainbow Road Plaza, Burkholder grabbed the mic and stepped up onto a bench. Below is most of his speech (edited slightly for clarity): “Despite some of the noise that we hear, especially from some ..read more